I completed my Web Accessibility training with W3Cx WAI0.1x, which inspired this post. I believe all UX designers should prioritize making the digital world accessible to everyone. Understanding the concepts and need for improving user experience can be challenging. I've written this article in simple terms so we can all work together to create better products.
Think of a world designed for — the specially abled. I know imagining this is a little difficult.
To understand the issues faced by thousands of people around us, we first need to feel their pain.
To help you visualise this, check out this video by Électricité de France (EDF) 👉
It’s not about a person's abilities or impairments, it’s about the design. That is, bad design is disabling.
The impact of disability is radically changed on the Web because the Web removes barriers to communication and interaction that many people face in the physical world. However, when websites, applications, technologies, or tools are badly designed, they can create barriers that exclude people from using the Web.
Web accessibility means that websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them. More specifically, people can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the Web but are not limited to that and can also participate and contribute to the Web
Accessibility is related to user experience, usability, and user-centered design. One of the reasons to understand this is that the methodologies and techniques in user-centered design work well for addressing the needs of people with disabilities, and including them, in creating accessible websites and apps.
